Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Brookvale Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Brookvale

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $2,273 in Brookvale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $3,355 in Brookvale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $4,438 in Brookvale.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 3% more expensive than Brookvale, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Brookvale 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$16.28 A$23.01

4.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$78.6 A$111

-11.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$9.50 A$13.43

45.05%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$3.42 A$4.84

-19.30%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.40

$2.47 A$3.50

12.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.96 A$2.76

1.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$6.53 A$9.23

-33.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$7.36 A$10.40

-35.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.47 A$2.07

-12.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.57 A$3.63

-20.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.78 A$2.52

11.80%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$4.31 A$6.09

-21.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$8.95 A$12.64

110.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$8.37 A$11.83

11.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$13.86 A$19.58

37.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.38 A$4.77

-20.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.76 A$3.91

-15.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.09 A$4.36

-31.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.74 A$6.70

-39.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.27 A$3.21

-13.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.30 A$3.26

-21.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.20 A$3.10

-34.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.29 A$1.82

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$31.42 A$44.39

-78.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$14.07 A$19.88

-43.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$4.85 A$6.85

-71.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$5.51 A$7.78

-56.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$2.65 A$3.75

10.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$64.4 A$90.9

-55.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.85 A$5.44

15.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.59 A$2.25

28.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$40.23 A$56.8

-26.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.14 A$1.62

59.65%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.8K €33.5K

$28.8K A$40.7K

34.72%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.1K €28.5K

$22.8K A$32.2K

45.29%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$189 €163

$205 A$290

-7.75%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.80 €19.65

$29.46 A$41.62

-22.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$51.9 A$73.3

-27.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$49.58 A$70.1

16.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$15.64 A$22.10

32.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$13.92 A$19.67

-22.27%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$728 €628

$1,728 A$2,442

-57.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$13.0K A$18.4K

13.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$71.6 A$101

23.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$56.6 A$80.0

-34.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$96.7 A$137

5.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$112 A$159

3.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$923 A$1,303

70.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$1,078 A$1,523

12.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,989 A$2,810

40.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,652 A$2,334

19.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$6,105 A$8,626

27.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$5,182 A$7,322

-0.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,383 A$1,954

69.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.29

-46.10%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Brookvale: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $923 in Brookvale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 69% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $79.0 in Brookvale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $344 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Brookvale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Brookvale differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $2,273 including rent). Brookvale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 69% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $923 in Brookvale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $1,728 in Brookvale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,273 in Brookvale versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Brookvale but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Brookvale the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Brookvale are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Brookvale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.